The present invention relates to vehicles, and, more particularly, to a user-controllable massage device for a user in a vehicle seat and related methods.
Motor vehicles are widely used to transport people and goods on both short and long trips. Driver comfort, in particular, is especially important as driving distances increase. Fatigue associated with long vehicle trips may occur even with high quality seats. Moreover, some drivers may have health problems, particularly back problems, that can make sitting, as when driving a vehicle, difficult.
Massage units have been developed to increase driver comfort. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,515 to Tseng discloses a massage device for a vehicle including a pair of motors in both the seat back and seat bottom portions. A control box that may be held in the user""s hand is hardwired to the motors to control their operation. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,942 to Sleichter, III et al. discloses a pad for a car seat including motorized vibrators in both the seat back and seat bottom portions and a remote control also hardwired to the pad.
Unfortunately, such massage devices including hardwired control units may significantly increase the complexity and cost of installation. A wire control cable must be routed typically from an under-seat power controller to the remote control unit. In addition, a cable extending within the interior of the vehicle may be awkward for driver use, and may also be susceptible to damage.
To further address driver comfort, an inflatable bladder has been used to provide selectable lumber support. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,585 to Liang discloses a cushion having a seat back portion that includes an adjustable air pouch for supporting a user""s lumbar region, a heating device, and a vibration device. An external control box is hardwired to the cushion for controlling the air pouch, heating device, and vibration device. Accordingly, even this more sophisticated massage unit with adjustable lumbar support suffers shortcomings associated with the hardwired control connection.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a massage device and associated method to increase driver comfort without the shortcomings of a hardwired control connection.
This and other objects, features and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a user-controllable massage device for a vehicle seat that operates via a wireless communications link. More particularly, the massage device may include a plurality of vibration transducers to be positioned adjacent the vehicle seat, a wireless receiver, and a power controller connected to the wireless receiver for selectively powering the plurality of vibration transducers based upon signals received from the wireless receiver. The massage device may also include a wireless remote controller to be operated by the user for communicating with the wireless receiver to selectively operate the plurality of vibration transducers. Accordingly, the clutter, potential for damage to a cable, and installation complexity associated with a hardwired cable control arrangement are avoided.
In some embodiments, the wireless remote controller may transmit a unique code. In addition, the power controller is preferably switchable to a learning mode for learning the unique code of the wireless remote controller so that the wireless remote controller is then an authorized wireless remote controller. Accordingly, interference from another nearby unit is avoided, yet a new remote controller can be readily learned and then used.
The wireless receiver and the wireless remote controller may operate at radio frequencies (RF), for example. The wireless remote controller may comprise a portable housing, and wireless transmitter circuitry and a battery carried by the housing. Additionally, the wireless remote controller may further comprise power terminals to be connected to the vehicle""s electrical power, if so desired, in certain installations.
The plurality of vibration transducers may include a first array of spaced-apart vibration transducers, which may be positioned adjacent a seat back of the vehicle seat. The first array of vibration transducers may be arranged into a pair of columns and at least three rows, for example. The plurality of vibration transducers may include a second array of spaced-apart vibration transducers that can be positioned adjacent a seat bottom. The second array may comprise a pair of columns and at least one row.
Each vibration transducer may be switched between on and off states and/or the user may control the magnitude of vibrations. Each vibration transducer may include an electric motor driving an eccentric load. Additionally, each vibration transducer may further comprise a seat mounting substrate connected to the electric motor to facilitate mounting adjacent the vehicle seat. An adjustable lumbar support device may be positioned adjacent a seat back of the vehicle seat and connected to the power controller to be selectively operable by the wireless remote controller.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for installing and operating a user-controllable massage device. More particularly, the method may include installing a plurality of vibration transducers adjacent the vehicle seat, providing a wireless receiver and a power controller connected thereto for selectively powering the plurality of vibration transducers based upon signals received from the wireless receiver, and using a wireless remote controller for communicating with the wireless receiver to selectively operate the plurality of vibration transducers to thereby provide massage action to the user at the vehicle seat.